Bill Clinton endorses Rep. Rangel for 23rd term

A 1997 photo of President Bill Clinton, with Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. on the left, at the White House. (Ron Edmonds, AP)

Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Rep. Charles Rangel for a 23rd term, giving the veteran New York Democrat a boost ahead of a tough primary.

“I’m happy to endorse my good friend Charlie Rangel for Congress,” Clinton said in a statement Wednesday. “Charlie has been a champion of more good jobs, successful small businesses, and strong families for more than 40 years. That’s what his district and our country need now.”

Rangel, 83, is an icon in Harlem and New York politics.

He faces a June 24 primary against state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who nearly defeated the congressman two years ago; the Rev. Michael Walrond, the leader of Harlem’s First Corinthian Baptist Church; and community activist Yolanda Garcia of the Bronx. The district now includes a swath of Bronx, added in redistricting, and is now heavily Hispanic.

When Clinton was facing impeachment charges, Rangel defended the president against GOP critics. They also worked closely on budget and other issues. The congressman was also one of the first to suggest Hillary Rodham Clinton run for the U.S. Senate in New York after Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced his retirement.